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Prince Edward Island / Epekwitk: Belonging and Connection at the Heart of Island Community 

Tristan Atkins, Laurie Brinklow, Kyla DeRoo 

Introduction 
Prince Edward Island may be Canada’s smallest province or territory at only 5,660 km2, but with a population of just over 175,000, it has the highest population density in the country, belying its seemingly pastoral rural character. While key industries remain the traditional rural, resource-based agriculture and fisheries, with tourism vying for equal billing, the biosciences and small-scale manufacturing such as aerospace and renewable energy are fast becoming strong economic contributors. In 2023, Prince Edward Island had one of the highest population growth rates in the country at 4%, which brought pressure to rural communities, particularly in the areas of housing and health care. Population growth has also provided new and exciting opportunities for rural communities as people move from within and outside of Canada to Prince Edward Island. This includes an increase in the number and type of small businesses, increasing employment sources, and providing new social, recreation and wellness activities that strengthen community cohesion between newcomers and long-term residents. This chapter provides an overview of a case study on the work of the Community Navigators over the past five years, whose mission is to welcome newcomers into rural communities. The case study highlights these challenges and strengths and provides concrete examples of how rural community well-being can be increased through population growth.   

Overview 

Prince Edward Island (PEI), or Epekwitk, as it is called by the Mi’kmaq who have lived in the area long before Europeans arrived, may be, by most measures, Canada’s smallest province in geography, population, and GDP. Indeed, when it isn’t being left off maps, it is a measure unto itself: “Wildfires burn area 4 times the size of PEI.”i This chapter describes the current state of the province, focusing particularly on two challenges faced by rural PEI: climate change and population growth.  

It is important to recognize that the discussion of rurality in our province, and in our country, happens through a western and settler-colonial lens. There is very little literature accessible regarding Mi’kmaw perspectives of rurality and urbanisation in PEI (Epekwitk). The discussion of the divide between rural and urban spaces is one that originated through a colonial and capitalist way of thinking about land as space to be owned, divided, and exploited for profit. Pre-colonization, Indigenous systems of trade or governance would not have been separated by any sort of rural/urban divide, and any separation that did exist would not have been central to any understanding of human relationship with land.ii Through colonization, this notion of the rural/urban divide was imposed, eventually becoming the dominant framework in today’s society. In recognizing this disparity, we hope to provoke further discussion on Indigenous perspectives of rurality within our province, and hope that the views of Indigenous Peoples can become central to this broader conversation.  

Based on 2021 census data, over 53% of PEI’s population of 154,331 Islanders live in rural areas.iii PEI’s population grew 8% from 2016 to 2021, and urban areas saw higher growth rates (10.2%) than rural ones (6.2%). We use Canada’s census definition of rural as an area with a population of less than 1,000 and a population density of 400 people or fewer per square kilometre.iv PEI’s two main cities of Charlottetown and Summerside saw growth rates of 7.5% and 7.8%, respectively, from 2016 to 2021.3 Over the same time period, the towns of Stratford and Cornwall, which are often considered urban areas by Islander standards, saw high growth rates of 12.5% and 22.9%, respectively.  

Another measure that can be used to determine rurality is Statistics Canada’s Index of Remoteness (IR), which is determined by population size and distance between other population centres, and rated on a scale of 0 to 1, with 0 being not remote, and 1 being most remote.v  There have been proposals to utilize the IR to classify communities into one of three classes: non-remote (IR Range: 0-0.2717), intermediate-remote (IR Range: 0.2721-0.5010), and remote (IR Range: 0.5014-1). Using this classification system, all of PEI’s communities would fall under the intermediate-remote classification. Comparatively, PEI’s capital city of Charlottetown has an IR score of .3132, the highest among its counterparts in the Atlantic region. The provincial capitals of Halifax (NS), Fredericton (NB), and St. John’s (NL) have scores of 0.1993, 0.2882, and 0.2470, respectively.   

Most Islanders would agree that those who live within the boundaries of the city of Charlottetown, and towns of Summerside, Stratford, and Cornwall are “townies,” or urban, while those who live in smaller towns, villages, and unincorporated areas live in the country and are considered rural. Although Cornwall does not fully meet Statistics Canada definition of urban, it is considered urban by many due to its rapid population growth, close proximity to Charlottetown, and having other similar social and environmental similarities to its urban counterparts. The former Cornwall Member of the Legislative Assembly, Ronnie MacKinley, has been known to say that whether you live in town or in the country depends on how you mow your grass: with a lawn mower or tractor. Defining PEI rurality by both local and national standards allows for those outside of PEI to properly place the Island within their own context, while still respecting the context and views of those who reside on PEI. 

While there is a lower percentage of immigrants living in rural areas on PEI compared to urban areas, immigration population growth since 2016 has brought important demographic changes and differences across rural and urban communities. For example, rural PEI has a higher percentage of self-employed and temporary workers than urban areas, with many rural industries relying on immigration or temporary foreign workers to fill job vacancies. The most popular industries or sectors within the labour force, for both permanent and temporary workers, aged 15+, are health care and social assistance (12.5%), public administration (10.9%), and retail trade (10.5%). In rural areas on PEI, this mix differs slightly, with the most popular rural industry or sector being agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting (14.0%), followed by construction (12.1%), and health care and social assistance (11.8%).3  

PEI’s centuries-long reputation as a pastoral province led to its nickname “Garden of the Gulf” or “the million-acre farm” and is based on its pre-WWII settler-colonial history when the rural landscape was dotted with mixed family farms. In reality, since 1931, PEI’s farm population – defined as “persons who are members of the households of farm operators” – has decreased from 63% to only 3.1% in 2016.vi,vii This decrease is similar to national trends. However, on an island where land is limited and shrinking due to erosion in some areas, the effects of this change are more acute. Indeed, the landscape itself is changing as urban sprawl and coastal cottage development drive up land prices and take over pastoral and farming areas. New subdivisions fuelled by the housing crisis are now evident outside most communities. 

Rural realities on PEI 

Like most islands, PEI is a metropole in microcosm. A lack of affordable housing, limited access to health care, high rates of inflation, unemployment, and food insecurity are evident, but perhaps felt more intensely because of our small size and scale. With limited land mass that is also under pressure from coastal erosion and sea level rise, as well as stressors caused by a fast-growing population, the Island is vulnerable. At the same time, because of its small size, strong social cohesion, and ready access to policymakers, PEI can often be nimbler and react to change more quickly. 

The major challenges currently impacting PEI are climate change and population growth. The effects of climate change were most recently exemplified during post-tropical storm Fiona, which battered the Atlantic coast on September 24, 2022, and became “the costliest extreme weather event ever recorded in Atlantic Canada,” and cost insurers $660 million in damages.viii Peak wind speeds of 141 km/hr destroyed buildings and damaged crops; rainfall records of 127.5mm (5.02inches) and storm surges that brought water levels as high as 3.12 m above sea level flooded fields and eroded coastal farmland; and dune systems along the North Shore were wiped out.ix In response, government and communities opened emergency shelters, and citizens and community groups mobilized to ensure that most people were cared for. As North Rustico resident Greg Balcom said when interviewed the day after the epic storm: 
  

Thank God we live in a small little community, where the people are willing to help each other… I’m sure by the end of the week we’ll have some type of teams organized up or together, to help anybody who needs it. That’s the best way to get through it, I think, is just community effort.x  

However, some people and groups slipped between the cracks. Subsequent reports noted that the most vulnerable were those who did not have a strong community safety net, such as the elderly and newcomers. Work is now being done to identify what measures can be put in place to ensure that no one is left behind in future extreme weather events and catastrophes.xi  

Case Study: The Community Navigators Program 

Social cohesion in rural communities is also necessary to address the challenge of population growth. As stated already, population growth has led to increasing challenges across PEI, but it has also brought new and exciting opportunities, particularly for rural communities. A case study on the PEI Community Navigators program in rural areas demonstrates how small actions that increase social cohesion can lead to big community impacts that can address specific challenges brought on by population growth in PEI rural communities.xii 

The PEI Community Navigators program was established in 2019 as a pilot project funded jointly by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and the Province of PEI. Programming began in the western part of the province with a focus on supporting newcomers to integrate into rural PEI communities. By 2020, the program was so successful that services were extended Island-wide and are now funded by Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Province of PEI. The organization has doubled in staff since its beginning due to increased client loads coming from population growth and the rise in partnerships fostered with other community organizations. Today, the organization has six community navigator positions located across rural PEI and is in its fifth year of operation. Alongside the PEI Community Navigators’ support to newcomers (e.g., housing and employment counselling services), they are also known for hosting public events that bring newcomers and existing community residents together. Examples of events include learning to skate, ski, and sled programs, intramural nights, language classes, cultural events, craft sessions, and much more. The goal of these events is to create spaces where newcomers and community residents are given opportunities to organically form relationships with one another.  

These events also provide opportunities for community members to help newcomers navigate challenges that exist when trying to settle in rural communities. For example, there are many examples of newcomers being paired and building relationships with households from the community, leading, in some cases, to newcomers joining these households for regular dinners or other household events. This can help newcomers build language skills, navigate the local community for services, and build other relationships. Work from the PEI Community Navigators has also led to existing community members inviting newcomers to come live with them. In fact, there have been cases where staff receive calls from community members asking if they know of any newcomer that would be interested in living with them because they know of someone else who has had positive experiences doing the same. 

Key to these connections, partnerships, and successes is the PEI Community Navigators’ emphasis on finding ways to include both newcomers and existing community members. As one staff member/volunteer explains: “You can’t have community growth without it being both sides.” This means working to get both existing community residents and newcomers at events together. Recently, this has become more difficult to achieve, especially as people adjust to life after COVID-19 and get used to going to events outside of their homes. Some of the most successful events have been those that integrate regular community activities with new cultural opportunities. Examples of this include hosting cultural and diversity booths and events at local fairs and festivals, or putting on entertainment events that host artists known to locals mixed with new ones that may be from other cultures.  

One of the major outcomes of this work is its role in retaining newcomers to rural areas for the long-term, which has benefitted both local economies and overall community well-being. For example, PEI rural communities have many more opportunities to buy food and products from around the world, thanks to newcomers who open and operate new businesses in these communities. Newcomers also help to bring new and diversified recreational opportunities in rural areas, such as the opportunity to learn the Tagalog language from Filipino community members at a local school.  

These outcomes demonstrate the positive effect that population growth can have on rural areas and that it is possible to find solutions to the issues it may bring when government, local organizations, and community members work together creatively. Though the work of the Community Navigators in PEI will not fix all the issues that come with adjusting to population growth, it shows that even the smallest of efforts can make a big difference.  

The future of rural on PEI 

In 2017, the Provincial Government’s population strategy aimed to increase overall population growth to 160,000 by the end of 2022, in response to a declining population – especially in rural communities.xiii In 2023, the province surpassed these goals. Statistics Canada estimates PEI’s population was 173,787 as of 2024, with most rural communities experiencing growth.4,xiv PEI currently has the second highest growth rate among provinces and territories, at 3.9%.xv For anyone familiar with PEI, it is clear how quickly this growth has changed the Island’s natural, socioeconomic, and political landscape. 

Because the province was experiencing population decline in 2017, no one could have predicted the speed of population growth on PEI in the last six years. Additionally, no one expected a global pandemic would be happening at the same time when most of the population growth occurred and that it would shift the priorities of governments for multiple years. However, the lesson for policymakers is that the success of short-term plans (i.e., population growth) must be coupled with long-term efforts and support to sustain their success. For PEI, these supports include the continuation of services and resources required to accommodate population growth, while addressing the other challenges raised in this chapter. Long-term support will be a challenge, given that government platforms and priorities may only last an election cycle of four years or less. To mitigate this challenge, governments must involve local communities in policy creation and enable them in responding to the short- and long-term needs within their context.  

Local communities are most familiar with the challenges at hand and have been attempting to work through these issues for a long time. In rural PEI, the province relies on community groups such as non-profits and small municipalities to provide essential emergency and social community services such as fire, daycare, and housing. In many cases, these services are provided by volunteers. A 2021 report on the non-profit sector on PEI found that many non-profits expressed challenges to meet growing service needs as a result of lack of volunteers and resources.xvi Policymakers must be aware of these challenges and see the services provided by these groups as opportunities for successful partnership, planning, and capacity building in addressing these challenges. This means scaling services according to an organization’s capacity, re-examining funding agreements, and relying on local organizations’ advice when creating and adapting policy.  

Perhaps more important to addressing the challenges faced by rural PEI communities is remembering that population growth is a good news story. Some may focus on the challenges that come with an increased population on a small island. However, population growth has contributed to PEI’s economy, making it an area with one of the country’s strongest economic growth rates.7,xvii It has also diversified and provided opportunities for long-time locals and newcomers to create relationships and experience new cultures, and prevented the closure of long-time community assets and infrastructure such as schools, halls, and parks. Certainly growth also carries with it a host of challenges, but as researchers Mills and Campbell summarize:   

There are challenges with population and economic growth and challenges with population and economic decline. Experts have agreed on one point: Better the challenges of growth than the challenges of decline. In PEI, we would have to agree, after experiencing both situations within the last ten years.17 

As our case study demonstrates, efforts to improve a sense of belonging and connection for newcomers and long-term residents alike result in strong, resilient rural communities, which are key to adapting to the challenges of climate change and population growth on PEI. 

References: 

References

  1. Canadian Press. (2023). Alberta-NWT: Wildfires burn area 4 times the size of PEI; flames creep closer to Yellowknife. CTV, August 16, n.p. https://www.ctvnews.ca/climate-and-environment/alberta-n-w-t-wildfires-burn-area-4-times-the-size-of-p-e-i-flames-creep-closer-to-yellowknife-1.6521088
  2. John, K.D., & Ford, D.R. (2017). CHAPTER ONE: The Rural is Nowhere: Bringing Indigeneity and Urbanism into Educational Research. Counterpoints, 494, 3–14. http://www.jstor.org/stable/45177650
  3. Statistics Canada. (2021). Census Profile. https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=cornwall&DGUIDlist=2021A000211,2021A00051102075,2021A00051103025,2021A00051102080,2021A00051102085&GENDERlist=1&STATISTIClist=1,4&HEADERlist=28,24,22,27,23,29,25,26,19,42,44,1
  4. Charbonneau, P., Martel, L., & Chastko, K. (2022). Population growth in Canada’s rural areas, 2016 to 2021. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/as-sa/98-200-x/2021002/98-200-x2021002-eng.cfm
  5. Statistics Canada. (2024). Index of Remoteness. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/17260001
  6. Government of Prince Edward Island. (2023). Province of Prince Edward Island 49th Annual Statistical Review 2022. https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/sites/default/files/publications/web_asr.pdf
  7. Statistics Canada. (2023, July 7). Dictionary, Census of Population, 2021. https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/ref/dict/az/Definition-eng.cfm?ID=pop265
  8. Constant, J. (2022, October 19). Fiona officially the costliest extreme weather event in Atlantic Canada. Canadian Underwriter. para 1. https://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/catastrophes/fiona-officially-the-costliest-extreme-weather-event-in-atlantic-canada-1004227058/
  9. MacLeod, N. (2023, May 31). P.E.I. farmers building back better as they move on from Fiona’s damage. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-changed-byfiona-farms-1.6854123#:~:text=Crops%20versus%20the%20elements,strong%20waves%20eroded%20coastal%20farmland
  10. Brown, S. (2022). Storm Fiona: PEI officials say full extent of damage still not known. Global News at 6 Halifax. 00:18. https://globalnews.ca/video/9155157/storm-fiona-pei-fficials-say-full-extent-ofdamage-not-yet-known
  11. Community Foundation of PEI & Institute of Island Studies. (2023). Belonging, Inclusivity, and Community Vitality: Key Components of Hazard Readiness and Response. https://www.cfpei.ca/vital_conversations/
  12. PEI Community Navigators. (2024). Welcome to Rural PEI. https://peicommunitynavigators.com
  13. Government of Prince Edward Island. (2017). Recruit, Retain, Repatriate: A population action plan for Prince Edward Island. https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/sites/default/files/publications/pei_population-action-plan_2017.pdf
  14. Statistics Canada. (2024, March 17). Population estimates, quarterly. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1710000901
  15. Government of Prince Edward Island. (2023). Provincial Population Report 2023. https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/sites/default/files/publications/pt_pop_rep_0.pdf
  16. Atlantic Economic Council. (2021). The Nonprofit Sector in Prince Edward Island (2021). https://atlanticeconomiccouncil.ca/page/NonProfitPEIReportSep21?&hhsearchterms=%%202non-profit+and+sector+and+pei%22
  17. Mills D., & Campbell D. (2021). Overcoming Decline: PEI’s Growth Story. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i74vkE_V1CgLcUDNx9H83fq239lGgHZ8/view